As soon as you process your visa and land in Germany, one of the first steps you should be doing is to register in your respective Bürgerbüro (local citizen’s office) and get the meldebescheinigung OR Anmeldebescheinigung OR Anmeldebestätigung.
Registering your address in Germany is not only required by law but is also essential for your daily life. Having a Meldebescheinigung or a registration certificate proves that you are a resident of Germany and helps to verify your identity.
What is meldebescheinigung?
Meldebescheinigung or a registration certificate is basically a proof of address. Regardless of you being a German citizen or an expat, you will or should get one as soon as you start living in Germany.
Generally, you should visit your local citizen’s office and register yourself as a resident within two weeks of arrival. Though it is not mandatory to do this within two weeks, it is recommended to do it as soon as you can to avoid any fines or issues.
What do I need meldebescheinigung for?
The registration certificate is necessary for many processes in Germany, such as:
Enrollment in a university
Not only the items listed above, it might also be required for other purposes such as getting a monthly travel card for the public transport or even to get a phone contract in Germany.
How to register in Germany?
As already stated, any person who stays in Germany for more than 90 days has to register their address in their respective local citizens’ office (Bürgerbüro) within two weeks of arrival.
To register, first you need to get an appointment at the Bürgerbüro. You can do it online in the respective city portal (eg: muenchen.de, the official city portal of Munich) or by calling the citizen’s office.
Documents required to register in Germany
Valid Passport or proof of identity
Visa in case of non EU citizen
A rental contract
Residence certificate (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) signed by the landlord
How long does it take to get the meldebescheinigung
If you present all these documents and if they are through, you will get the registration certificate right there. Soon after you register, the information will be passed over to the tax department and you will receive your tax ID via post.
On your way to Germany
You can find all the information you need about living and working in Germany at www.expatova.com.
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